The College Fix

Wisconsin’s fighting about affirmative action these days, and it might be Texas’ turn next.

Fisher v. Texas, a case originated in 2008, has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case involved two white guys getting denied by UT, and subsequently suing the school because its admissions policy uses race as a factor.

The 5th Circuit of Appeals denied the case a rehearing in  a 9-7 vote, with the majority stating the court must uphold the opinion of the Supreme Court’s 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger ruling, which said race could be used in admissions. The school has, unsurprisingly, come out in support of their admissions policy:

UT-Austin President William Powers Jr. said in a statement that the admissions policy upholds the 2003 Supreme Court decision. He also said that because of the top 10 percent rule, it is important to weigh a multitude of factors in terms of balance among the incoming student body.

“The University of Texas at Austin is firmly committed to a holistic admissions policy that is consistent with the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court,” Powers said. “We must have the flexibility to consider each applicant’s unique experiences and background so we can provide the best environment in which to train the students who will be our future leaders.”

One wrinkle to watch: Texas has made changes to their overall admissions policy. Before this year, the top 10 percent of Texas high school students were given admission to UT unequivocally; beginning this year, UT is allowed to limit themselves to admitting 75 percent of those in the top 10 percent — meaning more intangible, subjective aspects of admissions have reentered the process in a more prominent way.

[Daily Texan]

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